1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the digital camera field, an image processor performs interpolation on the image data received from an imaging device such as Charge Coupled Device (CCD). When the image data has the Bayer structure, the image processor performs color conversion (or development) into Red-Green-Blue (RGB) information. In this process, in order to perform image processing using top/bottom/left/right pixel information, the image processor requires a line memory of a few lines.
However, the recent trend is that the size of the line memory increases due to the high pixelation of the imaging device, and the required number of lines of the line memory also increases due to the advancement of image processing. In the process of manufacturing integrated circuits, however, the increase in size of the line memory causes a cost increase, making it preferable to reduce the size of the line memory.
One method for solving these problems includes recording first the entire image of the image data output from the imaging device in a frame memory provided out of the image processor, vertically splitting the image, inputting the split image to the image processor, and performing image processing thereon multiple times in a divided manner. This method makes it possible to reduce the size of the line memory because the image data is processed in the manner of a small image in the horizontal direction.
However, this method of recording first the entire image in the frame memory before performing image processing requires the entire image to be read out in the frame memory one by one, causing an increase in the number of accesses to the frame memory. As a result, power consumption and processing time undesirably increase.